American Airlines Collides With Helicopter At Ronald Reagan National Airport - Watch

A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, forcing the suspension of all flights, officials confirmed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the American Airlines-operated flight, traveling from Wichita, Kansas, was on its landing approach to Runway 33 when it struck a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter. The exact number of passengers on both aircraft remains unclear.

"A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time," CBS News quoted the Federal Aviation Administration as saying said in a statement.

The D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department stated that a small aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, prompting a search and rescue mission involving multiple agencies, including the U.S. Park Police aviation unit and D.C. Police Department.

Dashcam Footage appears to show the Mid-Air Collision between a Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-700 and a U.S. Army “Black Hawk” Helicopter earlier, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/TCMAbfWDiW

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 30, 2025

The airport confirmed on X that all takeoffs and landings had been halted, though the terminal remained open. Officials also stated that the helicopter did not belong to the Metropolitan Police Department.

According to Reuters, an Official has stated that there were no senior military officials onboard the "Black Hawk" Helicopter which crashed earlier at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near D.C.

Following the incident, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem said, "We are deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA. We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump had been informed of the incident. "Tragically, it appears a military helicopter collided with a regional jet at DCA airport," she said on Fox News.

🚨#BREAKING: A significant emergency response is underway, and a mass casualty has been declared after an American Airlines jet collided with a D.C. Police helicopter in a possible midair collision.

📌#Washington | #DC

Currently, a significant emergency response is underway in… pic.twitter.com/yR5GYGocQr

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 30, 2025

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the collision as rescue teams work in the Potomac River.

The videos of the crash have gone viral on social media sites.